EATING OUT

Cracow is famous for its elegant restaurants, offering not only delicious dishes, but also a huge dose of entertainment thanks to frequent shows of local songsters and bards. Apart from Polish renowned specialties such as ‘bigos’ (sauerkraut with sausages and mushrooms), ‘pierogi’ (boiled dough pockets filled with meat or cheese) or ‘zurek’ (a soup made from fermented rye with eggs and sausages), Cracow takes pride in Galician cuisine which is said, in a sense, to be historical because it refers to the times of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy when Cracow was the major town of the Galicia province (don’t confuse it with Spanish region of the same name!). It abounds in rich and vegetarian food. To the most recommended delicacies belong: borsch (a kind of beetroot soup), shish kebab, potato pancakes with goulash, bread with pork scratchings and baked aubergines with tomatoes.

Walking around the Market Square, it is impossible not to notice merchants selling the traditional Cracovian pretzels - a type of crackers baked in the shape of a knot and covered with salt or poppy seed.

Worth mentioning are also numerous Asian take-away bars, specializing in cheap oriental food including fried vegetables, chicken, beef, fish, noodles, rice, salads, etc.